Oscar Predictions and Rankings

I'm going to admit it just this once - I'm not really feeling the Oscars this year. And that's saying a lot, because it's typically my favorite day of the year. I LOVE the Oscars. But I am feeling a bit underwhelmed this year. I saw a lot of really great performances this year... and very few of them were actually nominated. And when the front runner is what I consider a boring too-long gimmick, and many others are claiming is the greatest piece of art ever made, well, I'm just not that excited this year. Regardless, every year I rank the nominees and then discuss who I think will win and should win (this year I'm including who was snubbed). Last year, I kicked ass at my predictions, getting only 3 wrong. I doubt I will do that well again this year, but here's hoping.

Best Picture
01. Whiplash
02. Birdman
03. Selma
04. The Grand Budapest Hotel
05. The Imitation Game
06. Boyhood
07. The Theory of Everything
08. American Sniper
Who WILL Win - Who the hell knows? It looks like it is a two way race between Birdman and Boyhood. It seems Boyhood might be the sentimental favorite, although Birdman is like nothing you've ever seen before. If you want to talk rebellious and pushing the boundaries, then Birdman is easily that choice. I guess I am going with BOYHOOD, even though I want to say Birdman.
Who SHOULD Win - Whiplash was my favorite movie of the year, but BIRDMAN was a close second.
Who Was SNUBBED - Sure, I loved Gone Girl and Nightcrawler, but both of them were way too dark for the Oscars. But A Most Violent Year seemed to have every thing the Academy could possibly want. Why no love??

Best Director
01. Alejandro Inarittu for Birdman
02. Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
03. Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
04. Richard Linklater for Boyhood
05. Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
Who WILL Win - Again, this seems like it could go either Birdman or Boyhood. (And, honestly, I love that the Academy has finally gotten on board with the whole Wes Anderson thing, but this really is one of my least favorite of his films). I am hoping this is all INARITTU.
Who SHOULD Win - What do you think is more impressive? One long continuous brilliant take? Or filming for a few days over the series of twelve years? I mean, TV shows do that... INARITTU.
Who Was SNUBBED - David Fincher, obviously.

Best Actor
01. Michael Keaton for Birdman
02. Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
03. Bradley Cooper for American Sniper
04. Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
05. Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game
Who WILL Win - Another major category where anything could happen. KEATON should have this sewn up, but Redmayne may just beat him. And don't count out Cooper as the spoiler.
Who SHOULD Win - KEATON, out of these nominees anyway...
Who Was SNUBBED - Imagine how awesome the Best Actor line up could have been if Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, Oscar Isaac for A Most Violent Year and David Oyelewo for Selma were nominated along with Keaton and Redmayne.

Best Actress
01. Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl
02. Reese Witherspoon for Wild
03. Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything
N/A Julianne Moore for Still Alice
N/A Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night
Who WILL Win - MOORE is the biggest lock of the night.
Who SHOULD Win - Granted, I haven't seen Still Alice, but PIKE killed it in Gone Girl.

Best Supporting Actor
01. Edward Norton in Birdman
02. J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
03. Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
04. Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
N/A Robert Duvall in The Judge
Who WILL Win - SIMMONS can't lose.
Who SHOULD Win - Even if I slightly preferred NORTON in Birdman, I have no problems with Simmons winning. He was equally phenomenal.

Best Supporting Actress
01. Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
02. Emma Stone in Birdman
03. Laura Dern in Wild
04. Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game
N/A Meryl Streep in Into the Woods
Who WILL and SHOULD Win - I did love Stone, but ARQUETTE is going to win, with no problem.

Who will win the rest of the categories...
Best Original Screenplay - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Imitation Game
Best Cinematography - Birdman
Best Costume Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Film Editing - Boyhood
Best Makeup and Hairstyling - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Score - The Theory of Everything
Best Song - Glory (Selma)
Best Sound Editing - American Sniper
Best Sound Mixing - Whiplash
Best Visual Effects - Interstellar
Best Animated Feature - How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Documentary Feature - CitizenFour
Best Foreign Film - Ida
Best Animated Short - Feast
Best Documentary Short - Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Live Action Short - The Phone Call

Happy Oscars!